Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Jon's other site:
Screen Jam
TV and more ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
Even if baseball is this desperate for money, it needs to make a change. As I wrote in February, the amount of money Major League Baseball would leave on the table by condensing the regular season and starting postseason games earlier in the calendar and earlier in the evening would be made up by future earnings from better ratings and greater fan interest.
It's all about making the right investment.
I'm not suggesting baseball should be able to control the weather. I'm just suggesting that the sport can improve its odds - and at the same time, not feel so bad about having to suspend or postpone a game, since there will be more time to make things right.
2) Realign so each league has four 4-team divisions
Schedule
18 games against each intradivisional team (3): 54 games
6 games against each intraleague team outside of division (12): 72 games
6 games against each interleague team in a division on a rotating basis (4): 24 games
Total: 150 games
That shaves two weeks off the regular season, and ensures each playoff spot is contested by teams playing the exact same schedule.
Expand? Expand???
Two words: Jamie Moyer
1) Start the season one week earlier and schedule as many games as possible the first two weeks in warm weather or domed stadium cities.
2) Have each team play atleast 7 double-headers. Rosters could be expanded by one on days of double-headers. Or some similar roster rule that gives teams flexibility.
3) Try as hard as possible to limit off days during the post-season. No more waiting 2 or 3 days to start a new series when the two teams have already been decided.
vr, Xei
Are you saying Jamie Moyer doesn't belong in baseball?
I refuse to believe there isn't enough of a worldwide talent base to support at least two more teams.
I love doubleheaders. I have only been to one DH in my life, and although it was a long day it was worth it.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN199808161.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SDN/SDN199808162.shtml
If Jamie Moyer is not compelling evidence in support of contraction, nothing is.
Course, Jamie Moyer is just a figurehead for old and/or not very good players that shouldn't be in the major leagues, like, say, Loaiza, Berroa, Bennett, Tomko, etc.
With kids, it must seem unfathomable for them to sit through one full game, let alone two (plus the 30-45 minutes between games).
If Jamie Moyer is not compelling evidence in support of contraction, nothing is
On this we agree. :)
http://tinyurl.com/6rhluo
Poor Mike's Baseball Rants
...um, not really.
2008 started with the Brewers AT the Cubs. Hello...Milwaukee has a domed stadium(really nice place to watch ball). I don't think you can start too much earlier...weather is still an issue everywhere.
Doubleheaders would allow the season to end in September, and get the playoffs over before the last week of October while the weather is still civilized even in New England. Plus, doubleheaders can be enjoyable.
Inter-league games aren't that great and force us to endure the All-Star fiasco. It's baseball, not buckets or football. The All-Star game reverts to an exhibition with no impact on the World Series while still providing an opportunity to see players from the other league (as if they're not on TV anyway). The Rays earned the home field advantage with a better record.
vr, Xei
Day-nighters, to get two gates?
And making sense of the schedule in October won't happen as long as Fox controls baseball's postseason.
Dang, beat me to it.
Start the season 1 week earlier (in March).
If you allow for an extra person on the active roster for scheduled doubleheaders, what would you do for doubleheaders as a result of games made up due to rain/weather?
1. Active 25 man roster for every regular season baseball game. You can use anyone on the 40 man roster but only 25 per game. Only one change per game is allowed not related to the DL and must be announced when the lineups are presented to the umpires.
2. Remove the DH
3. Players can be used once removed from the game but only after 3 complete innings have expired. Meaning if I pinch hit in the 2nd I can also pinch hit/pinch run/play defense starting in the 6th. This would keep teams from running out of players in extra innings.
This would add some real managerial strategy to the game and get the fans more involved.
3. Players can be used once removed from the game but only after 3 complete innings have expired. Meaning if I pinch hit in the 2nd I can also pinch hit/pinch run/play defense starting in the 6th. This would keep teams from running out of players in extra innings
I don't like this at all. Let the teams run out of players. The strategy is deciding when is best to use each player.
I like the suggestion of using anyone on the 40, but only 25 per game-- all season.
Dh- Either allow the NL to use it, or get rid of it altogether.
I wouldnt allow players to re-enter the game. I think that is what managing interesting-- the possibility of running out of players.
Ryan Howard walks in the 8th inning of a tie game and is pinch run for by Joe Blow. Joe Blow gets caught stealing and goes into play 1st base. The game goes into the 12th inning and Joe Blow comes up. After sitting out 3 innings Ryan Howard pinch hits and delivers a mammoth shot to right field. Game over, fans go home happy.
A travel day might be added still, and the schedule for all remaining games is still up in the air.
http://tinyurl.com/5oex4e
It would raise a humorous exchange between a manager and his pitchers.
"Hit the showers, kid....Actually, wait a little while. Just hang out here; we may need you in a few innings."
1. Active 25 man roster for every regular season baseball game. You can use anyone on the 40 man roster but only 25 per game. Only one change per game is allowed not related to the DL and must be announced when the lineups are presented to the umpires
I really like this idea, but let me be the fly in the ointment here. From the players' perspective, this could damage the earning potential of starting pitchers. For instance, if the Dodgers demoted Kershaw for every day he wasn't starting (to allow for more bench flexibility), he would have only accumulated 20-ish days of service time instead of the 110-ish or so he did accumulate. Not to mention the difference in MLB and minor league salaries.
Players would probably want some guarantee for split contracts that if a player achieves 15-20 days of service time his entire MLB salary for the year becomes guaranteed or something like that.
Despite my agreement with D4P that this will allow more lousy players into the majors, I do think expansion should be considered so that there could be 4 divisions in each league, like the NFL has. It just makes things more fair and would probably make scheduling logistics much easier. Plus, I think fighting with only 3 other teams for a playoff spot every year would really intensify the intra-divisional rivalries.
Did he make Loney, Kemp, and Martin less confident, or are they just not team players?
I dunno. Maybe it was just me who felt more confident. In any case I get pretty frustrated when the team I'm following loses many games by 2-1. I feel like all that good pitching's getting wasted. Just my own emotional response I suppose as all that really matters is more "W"'s than the rest of the division.
I would still like my Manny if no one minds too much.
Yeah, I don't think the season will be shortened either. If anything, you can just add 4 more games (22 total) against the 3 divisional opponents, for an unchanged total of 162.
Baseball last had 24 teams in 1976. Total world population was right around 4 billion.
Right now there are roughly 6.7 billion people on Earth. I don't think 32 teams would be tough to fill with good players.
Well, ESPN.com has an article up:
The New England Patriots were assessed zero penalty yards in their win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday -- and the Rams want to know why.
The Rams are sending a videotape to the NFL's offices, highlighting plays the team believes should have resulted in penalties against the Patriots on Sunday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3668962
So you're saying the Rams videotaped the Patriots this time? :)
Don't be ree-dic-you-luss...
West
1) Lakers*
2) Rockets*
3) Hornets
4) Spurs
5) Jazz*
6) Suns
7) Blazers
8) Mavs
East
1) Celtics*
2) Cavs*
3) Pistons
4) Magic*
5) Wizards
6) 76ers
7) Raptors
8) Nets
He's 45 years old and throws the ball in the low-80s.
See also: Maddux, Greg.
Very good point. I hadn't thought of it that way.
I know, but I was just ordering them by record anyway. Besides, in my example, the Spurs would still have home court over the Jazz in the 4-5 matchup even as the lower seed.
I love doubleheaders and they are the answer to all our problems. However, both players and management have good reasons to eliminate doubleheaders. Players simply find it tiring to play too many games in one day. For management, there are powerful economic reasons not to like doubleheaders.
The reason doubleheaders were once viable is that most fans came to the game for the actual baseball. Now they come for other reasons. In 1940 a doubleheader could have been expected to boost attendance significantly in parks that ordinarily would have been half-empty. In 2008, no games are played in half-empty parks anymore, and the people who do attend are, generally speaking, there for the entertainment and not the baseball. It's not possible anymore for a doubleheader to jack up attendance enough to make it economically feasible.
Then there's playing two games in one day with separate admissions, which I refuse to call a doubleheader. The problem with this option is that you're asking for a 12-hour time commitment from your season ticket holders, and also asking your gameday staff, not to mention the players, to put in about a 16-hour workday. That's a little much.
Baseball will never, ever take the long view economically, and that's really the problem. Because most owners own teams for relatively short periods of time, it's a pump-and-dump industry. Frank McCourt couldn't care less about ensuring that baseball has fan appeal and economic viability in 2018, because he won't be around. He cares about making the short-term buck and selling the franchise for more than he paid for it.
No plan will ever happen which requires owners to take a short-term economic hit for a long-term gain. This is why the World Series will continue to be played late at night in November, and also why there will never again be scheduled doubleheaders.
That's not the issue. The issue (IMO) is that if there were fewer teams. 45-year old, 80 MPH-hurling pitchers wouldn't likely be getting starting jobs in the first place.
But there's more to baseball than age and the radar gun. The issue is why do you think it's a good thing to remove an above-average player from baseball? How would that help or make the game better?
Not that I think the current format is horribly unfair, I just find the alternative more appealing.
I'm not trying to make that case: I'm making the case that pitchers like Moyer probably wouldn't get a chance to show their stuff in the first place. Which, IMO, would be a good thing in most cases, but there might be some exceptions.
I actually think the average age of MLB players will probably go down anyway, in the "post-PED" era. (Which isn't to say that PED use has necessarily ceased...)
It's like complaining that there are so many fat guys in the majors even though David Ortiz, Matt Stairs and company hit lots of home runs.
Rule 15 violation.
Scott Eyre would like a ruling from the Yes on Y committee.
First of all, your argument began by being centered on Jamie Moyer. So in fact, you are arguing that it would be good that an above-average pitcher wouldn't get a chance to show his stuff.
Second, the premise doesn't even hold up. Even if you contract baseball, veterans like Moyer will always get long, long looks - from Spring Training on.
I lose track of all the "animal style fries" secret rules. Rule 13 is easy to remember, but for the life of me I can't remember what Rule 14 was, unofficially of course.
I assumed Rule 15 was bringing up the fresh wound of Matt Stairs. (Sorry, Jacob!)
Which I further explicated in 8 .
you are arguing that it would be good that an above-average pitcher wouldn't get a chance to show his stuff
No. I am arguing that, among all players who wouldn't get a chance to show their stuff, most of said players would be below average.
Thus, the size of the bathwater would exceed the size of the baby, and we'd be less likely to have (unspecified) morons paying players like Esteban Loaiza $7 million a year.
Shouldn't the fact that a 45-year old 80-MPH hurler can be "above average" be considered "pretty darn good evidence" that there are too many bad hitters in the league...?
If not, what would such evidence look like?
With fewer teams, Moyer and his ilk (you know, good and effective players) would still get jobs, leaving fewer jobs for players that fit your ideal type.
It could be evidence that there is much more to pitching than the readings of a radar gun.
Why isn't Bob supporting me here with some Russ Ortiz anecdotes...?
That's true. But at least the overall average (or "quality") would increase, and we'd be stuck with fewer players like Sweeney who are incompetent at all aspects of the game.
Players who are incompetent relative to their peers will always exist no matter what. There will always be someone who's the worst player in baseball.
Another solution to you problem would be to expand baseball to 60 teams. Then, Mark Sweeney would suddenly become competent.
Mark Sweeney is one of the 1,000-best baseball players in the world. Calling him incompetent is really just making a comment about his relative value. Change the size of the league, and you'll just be changing the target - there will always be about the same percentage of "incompetent" players.
Fewer GMs, and thus (on average?) fewer Ned Collettis.
He must have made a deal with his father-in-law, Satan.
(That was for Bob)
Julio Franco was in South Korea, out of MLB at 41, then came back to play seven more years, producing a 100 OPS+ in 1618 PA.
fyi you guys do know that Jamie Moyer led this year's NL Champions in wins and was second in innings, starter ERA, and ERA+ right?
I want to know in what world is Jamie Moyer considered a poor pitcher?
He was much better than Greg Maddux this year if you are looking for someone comparable.
And they're not comparable.
Moyer had a bad start against the Brewers and a really bad start against the Dodgers, but apparently the Rays were an easier mark for him.
http://www.bluemancasting.com/blueman_requirements.php
The role of Blue Man is a very physically demanding one. We are seeking men and women who fit the following specifications:
5'10"-6'1"
Athletic build
Solid percussion/drum skills or strong musical background
Excellent acting skills – the ability to communicate honestly within the dramatic circumstance and the ability to express emotions and communicate non-verbally
Open to exploring an alternative acting style
Able to let your ego go and embrace a collaborative working environment
Dynamic, charismatic personality
Open-minded
Willing to travel and /or relocate
If you keep this up, I'm breaking out my Joseph Welch impression.
There will always be players you think are bad. Always. In every league, in every sport.
The flip side, of course, is that it is easier to square up on slower pitches as you have an extra few tenths of a second to swing.
Is that a promise or a threat?
PS: I have no idea who Joseph Welch is.
What? No, no, I'm busy that day. I have an important, um, meeting.
That being said, if there were only 16 NFL teams would I be saying David Garrard in the same context as Ryan Fitzpatrick? Maybe. I guess it's a pretty pointless discussion at this point.
106 Premis*e*, learn something new.
about the 6:10 mark.
Beimel is listed at 6'2" or 6'3", depending on the source. Just a tad too tall.
Billy Beane signed that contract. Ned just took on the last $7.375M; at least he didn't sell off Elbert, McDonald, Wade and Troncoso instead.
He also didn't appreciate the bind George was in, what with Uncle Billy losing the $8,000. Had he been more compassionate, he might not have reacted so violently. Course, then, George may never have met Clarence.
Sadly, I never seen It's a Wonderful Life*. I plan to see it this year though.
*This is going to disappoint Underdog more than my Freaks & Geeks abstinence.
I know.
I throw myself at the mercy of the court on this one. No contest.
And who still uses cash?
And Mr. Gower would have been a stock-boy at the WalMart pharmacy.
1. me
2. people who want to make purchases that they don't want traced.
there may be some overlap
Mr. Potter never should have given those sub-prime loans to the people in Pottersville.
He dug his own grave.
The Bailey Brothers always required a higher credit score. They also own a controlling interest in Martini's Bar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Es1flO_2M
I wonder whose failure to be born led to Bob's librianism.
I was disappointed. I was looking up George Brunet a lefty who retired from Major League baseball in his mid 30's but if I recall then spent the rest of his life pitching in Mexico and other places but Google was no help in finding the facts.
Uh, no. As "important" as It's a Wonderful Life is, and as many times as I've seen it now, I'm fine never seeing it again. F&G I can't go through a year without busting out the DVDs. So you have your order of priority now, my friend!
Get me, I'm makin' wings!
I've lost my copy of The Physics of Baseball somewhere, but I think that's in it.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/the-tht-interview-george-brunets-left-arm
Or, thanks to the draconian "Know Your Customer" laws, their bank ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_your_customer
Thanks - that story is what I read. I remembered him from the Senator days. Quite a baseball life.
According to Beyond the Box Score, Russell Martin is the 4th best catcher.
Jason Veritek is 18th.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BKC-Arizona-Olson.html
Interesting that Scareduck insists the Angels are not interested in Manny because he seems to be a perfect fit baseball wise if not character wise.
In the winter league, he play nine seasons for teams in Culiacán, Guasave and Los Mochis. He won 60 and lost 54, pitching 998 innings with 657 Ks and an ERA of 2.24. He threw a no hitter in 1976 pitching for the Algodoneros (Cottonpickers)de Guasave.
In 1977 he managed the Petroleros (Oilers)de Poza Rica.
(freely translated from the Salon de Fama webpage).
1) The benching and subsequent trade of Jose Guillen after his tantrum at being replaced for a pinch-runner.
2) The refusal to hire Barry Bonds as a DH when he could be had for major league minimum as of the start of spring training, 2008.
3) From the opposite side: the frankly overlong retention of Garret Anderson.
153 -- not to mention (likely) both Florida clubs.
I'm not disagreeing with your assessment, just saying they would be a great match baseball wise if not for the character side of transaction. They need a slugging LF/DH if they lose Teixeira and Manny fits the bill.
It was a pretty sweet-looking stadium, too, with a retractable canopy-style roof that would make the park look like a sailboat.
http://tinyurl.com/5b5d9z
More thanks.
I fully support people who are more pedantic than I am.
Isn't the Irvine Company owned by Noah Cross?
Huh. I would have guessed The Bluth Company.
Underdog, I forget why you root for two Eric-approved teams (Dodgers and Lakers) yet we are mortal enemies in football. Did you grow up in Denver or something, or was it one of those "liked them as a kid of some reason, and it stuck" reasons?
You can't find a decent frozen banana these days in OC.
There's a "kid-tested" joke in there somewhere, but just for Kix I'm going to let it go.
Mike (Lake Forest, CA): If you ran the Dodgers do you even consider trading Billingsley or Kershaw? Billingsley is already almost as good as Peavy (minus the two NLCS games) and Kersahw has all the tools to be one of the best lefties in the league shortly.*
SportsNation Buster Olney: Mike: Here's one way I might think about it -- First, if I harbored any doubts about either guy, whether as an injury risk or for other concerns, and perhaps as part of a larger plan -- in other words, if you get Peavy, you get a below-market star who can lead your staff, at a time when you're probably going to lose Derek Lowe. Because you save money there, you might be in a better position to re-sign Furcal or Manny, or do whatever else you want to do. But if you think those guys are both rising superstars, then no, you probably don't make the deal. It all depends on how they feel about them internally.
Externally, I feel that Peavy has a $22 million option I want no part of.
An Angels spokeswoman said Tuesday the club intends to discuss a free-agent contract with Anderson, who recently severed ties with agent Chris Arnold and is representing himself.
Has representing oneself ever ended well? If anything, I think that bodes well for Anderson returning to the club next season. Who knows?
Anderson played for the Palm Springs Angels in the same park I played some senior league games at. One of my best friends was a batboy for them for two years, and GA was his favorite player from that team then, and he has liked him ever since. A genuine nice guy.
The moral of the story is that Scott Boras is the devil.
Well, the Reader's Digest Condensed Version of why I am mostly inexplicably a Broncos fan:
No, I didn't grow up in Denver. (Speaking of which, where's Hallux V these days?) But when I was a young 'un, and the Dodgers were the first team I rooted for, I started to get into football, too. I was 7 years old. The only thing I knew is that I hated the Cowboys. The first game I remember watching was that Super Bowl, with my dad and some of his friends, who were all rooting for Denver because they too hated Dallas. I noticed their QB had the same first name as me. And they were, of course, the underdogs.
I wanted a western team, but didn't like the Chargers or Raiders or Rams (and all the kids were fans of those teams so I wanted to be different) all that much (the latter were mostly bad), the 49ers were terrible, etc. I just liked the teams they had and their underdog status. My best friend in childhood was a Raiders fan and the first thing he noticed was my "stupid Broncos hat" but we hit it off anyway. He was also a Reds fan for reasons I could never quite figure out, except probably similar to why I was a Broncos fan (except the Reds were always good back then). And there you have it. It's not much, but it's what I have.
I've been to Denver a couple of times if that counts?
Now I can breathe and relax.
And Tivo the Lakers game because I'm letting her pick a DVD to watch tonight in celebration. As long as it's not too girly.
It's crying out for a review!
I mean, it is rather girly, but it does have Diane Lane in it!
Now if only Donna Reed was actually a vampire in her show, we'd be set.
And thanks for your good thoughts.
And thankfully even she is burned out on Sex in the City, so I'm spared.
http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/nightsinrodanthe
Joe Mauer only made $3,750,000 in his first year of arbitration. I hope the dodgers argue for around that number and not overshoot themselves for Martin. You'll almost have to hope that Ryan Howard's arbitration case is looked as an anomaly instead of the new cost of doing business.
I'm so confused.
When there was a 154 game schedule there were double headers and sometimes teams played each other 6 consecutive days. There was less travel which was good because there were prop planes and buses used for the travel.
I would be fine with 140 games but going back to 154 helps with the record book.
Re the curveball versus fastball thing, think backspin versus topspin. Backspin means that the top of the ball spins away from the direction of travel of the ball. Topspin is the opposite.
And think of undercutting the ball, though not by much, since we want as solid a contact as otherwise possible. But if you visualize the undercut ball, you can see that the bat will reverse the spin of a fastball and add to or augment the spin of the curveball.
Why do we care? Because the ball has now changed direction of travel. And so the formerly topspin is now added backspin. And it is the backspin that gives lift.
I hope that this is clearer than mud, but if you visualize the ball spinning with backspin and topspin, and then visualize an undercut contact, you should see that with the fastball, the bat makes contact on the lower half of the ball traveling in the direction opposite the ball's spin, whereas with the curveball, the bat makes contact traveling in same direction as the ball's spin and so adds to or augments the spin. And, again, don't forget, backspin gives lift.
Someone's gonna have his neck bitten tonight.
Or do crazy V drugs.
I mean, I started watching "Weeds" and all, but I'm still a neophyte when it comes to drug parlance.
In True Blood people do vampire blood as a drug. It is called V and people take it in a variety of ways.
The Sports Guy is high on the smell of the bs that exudes from his mouth.
Don't hate him because he's a fan of Boston sports.
Despise him.
But St. Louis is over 50 % Black/African American and I am willing to bet they prefer basketball to baseball.
A very small few of us still feel compelled to follow the NFL team that is currently housed there.
He's a chameleon.
He looks like he's wearing a mask made from armadillo skin.
Maybe he is a real heavy drinker.
There have been some half-hearted attempts to get an NBA team back in St. Louis, but there isn't enough corporate support to buy tickets.
St. Louis is having a hard enough time getting an MLS franchise. And people like soccer in St. Louis.
Well yeah, if you like soccer why in the world are you going to watch the MLS?
I woulda thought The World's Greatest Fans would have been more than enough.
The Dodgers are expected to announce that Lenny Harris will rejoin the organization as a minor league instructor.
http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/fan_forum/underthelights.jsp
Sincerely,
Everyone outside of Cleveland
http://tinyurl.com/5bv6kk
How I loathe the Eastern Conference.
I've grown to loathe the sight of Paul Pierce being happy.
I have always hated that.
I guess they are trying out designs early in the year.
What does any of you think about Oliver Perez?
http://tinyurl.com/66ujck
He gave up way too many walks last year, but a second lefty in the rotation would be nice. On the downside, I sense a Dreifort-like contract coming his way.
Thoughts?
He is one of the better free agent pitchers out there. Could be a good fall back option.
The league is not very good. I mean, once when I was much younger they tried to sign me up as a small forward. All 5'11'' of me.
Mello Roos goes to repay bonds taken out by the builder in order to pay for things like parks, sewage, and roads. In the old days these things were paid for the builders and built into the sales price of the new home. However, builders realized it would be more profitable if they bundled the costs of these things together and had future homeowners repay them over 20, 30, or 40 years. Mello Roos costs tend to fluctuate in boom and bust times.
Prices are going to continue to fall in Irvine for the next few years so there is no reason to purchase now. Unless you like losing money that is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mello-Roos
A Mello-Roos District is an area where a special property tax on real estate in addition to the normal property tax is imposed on those real property owners within a Community Facilities District. This district has chosen to seek public financing through the sale of bonds for the purpose of financing certain public improvements and services. These services may include streets, water, sewage and drainage, electricity, infrastructure, schools, parks and police protection to newly developing areas. The tax you pay is used to make the payments of principal and interest on the bonds.
"The viewers have a wonderful bargain," he said. "Turn on the TV -- for free -- watch some commercials and enjoy yourself."
http://tinyurl.com/6n5khm
"Eovaldi throws as hard as Broxton did when we signed him," said assistant general manager Logan White. "If he starts, he'll throw in the mid-90s. If he relieves, he'll hit 100 mph easy."
http://tinyurl.com/5e583q
Looks like we have another stud on the way...
I agree with Icaros, those four big guys look like Ents. Oden's kind of moving around like one, too.
Moyer? Whatever, sometimes you get beat. Wait 'til next year!
Digger Phelps, on the other hand... As a student, I kept having visions of water balloons or eggs or some projectile that would encourage him to suit up or GET OFF THE COURT! I like hearing him comment on UCLA as much as Joe Morgan commenting on the Dodgers, which is to say, not at all!
According to a Philadlephia Eagles bio, Davis' first and only part-time job was when he worked the drive-thru window at Burger King for two hours.
"My math was terrible so I kept messing up the orders. I just got up, grabbed five double whoppers, threw them in my bag and rolled out."
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24540399-5009760,00.html
Alrighty-then.
Also: I watched a little bit of Major League on HBO, for the first time in several years, and couldn't stop laughing at how 80s that movie looks, even though it was made at the very end of the 80s the people in it look about 7-10 years before that. Also, the Indians starting pitcher, Harris, looks like 5 years older than Jamie Moyer does now. But, hey, Steve Yeager's in it. And it's still a fun watch.
oh, and train, I'm really glad I didn't OD on "V" tonight. Wouldn't want to be hospitalized. ;-)
Night folks.
I was hearing that nonsense on ESPNews when they showed Philadelphia radio.
Even though I knew it was coming, I am sad.
He'll have fun not winning anything there. Washington will not be very good during his 2 years, but I don't think he ever cared a ton about winning. But hey, you have to give it to the kid for making 3 terrible decisions about his future. You don't see that too often. You'd think someone would step in and say - go to the best program on the West Coast, the one with the most exposure and 3 straight Final 4's, and the one that has a coach that has produced 4 1st round NBA point guards in 6 years before you get there. They were also your "second choice" the last time you committed to Arizona. But that would just be too logical and make too much sense.
He can go wherever he wants, but I am going to want to crush his Washington teams even more than usual.
And I hate Washington.
UCLA's offense is awful.
And thats with having good players to run it (whatever it was).
Howland's half court offense/pressure defense approach isnt for all kids.
And I thought Lute Olson retired.
In related news, Kobe Bryant had more rebounds last night than Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum combined.
Lakers look pretty decent though!
It's hard to argue with three straight Final Four trips.
Giving up only 76 points is definitely good. The offense didn't look as good on paper, but 96 points on an off-night? is not too shabby.
Nate, did you end up getting the NBA League Pass?
I paused the TV with the Greg Oden video on and asked my wife who knew nothing about him how old this guy looked. She guessed 45. He kind of has the face of a witch doctor. As someone said he's looking very much like Sam Bowie right now.
The Baron is going to start tonight after missing the whole preseason but Camby still sits. Expect lots of turnovers. Lakers would have an easy go of it , if it wasn't for the the fact it is a back to back before they really have their legs. Not having to work very hard against Portland should help.
Also, funny how Mike Carminati turned into such a lame fanboy when his team finally went somewhere in the postseason. Good thing I never read him too much in the first place.
Of course, they didn't have their first back-to-back last season until the season was two weeks old.
That's true.
Those first set of quotation marks were gratuitous.
Yep, it was like 4 payments of 42 dollars or something; split between one of my roommates and I.
It'll probably be worth it. Lakes and Clips should be fun to watch tonight too.
A healthy Mihm is going to be a life saver for the Lakers when Bynum gets hurt again.
The Juice blog has fresh (squeezed) content...
The same could be said for Plaschke.
How do you know Bynum will get hurt again?
And what makes him think Mihm will stay healthy?
That was just a whammy attempt.
Prediction: Bynum will play more games during the 2008-2009 regular season than Baron Davis.
Obviously I don't, just an opinion.
Given that the best player on the Clippers has never not gotten hurt unless it was someone pedestrian like Loy Vaught I'd be a fool to take that bet, but since you foolishly bet on Kent even though you knew it was a fools bet I'll take you up on it.
Those of us who can separate rational thought from emotional thought.
I wouldn't be calling it a conspiracy, and there is no way I would want my team to clinch on a rain out.
Because we all remember last year's World Series with such fondness. And the 2006 World Series too.
I'm getting space reserved on the obelisk.
I don't think many Phillies fans would be happy to see the WS end on a rainout. I think the frustration comes from the Phillies losing a 1-run lead due to MLB trying to save face.
I don't believe that Selig decided ex ante that the game would not be called before 9 innings. If that were the case, why not announce it ahead of time?
Since no postseason game EVER had been called before nine innings, it was a pretty safe assumption that the game was going to be played to its conclusion. And the Rays knew this. At least Maddon claims that was what he was told.
And now it's time to add another name to my obelisk...
It's 20 feet high. With four sides. I've got plenty of space.
Am I being added to the obelisk, or are you still talking about Peter Gammons?
Who else is on the obelisk?
A tie was certainly a more convenient place to suspend the game, but how were the Rays the only team that benefited from the rain? The Phillies certainly had their chances to score due to the weather (those 5th inning popups were treacherous) but they didn't.
Also, Selig (believe this if you must) claims he told both general managers before the game that the game would go 9 innings no matter what, and that they all agreed to start the game.
Kershaw, much to the chagrin of an inebriated fan witnessed in the parking lot after Game 4 by MC Safety & I.
I'm afraid it's now Gammons AND you.
Is Carlos Perez himself on the obelisk? This could be a first!
Time heals all obelisk etchings.
Arizona was never on the obelisk. It was a different type of grudge.
I was not able to watch the game (I only had access to radio), so it's hard for me to say who was helped more by the rain. My point is not so much that the rays were given an unfair advantage due to the rain, but rather that the game should have ended earlier, while the Phillies still had the lead.
http://tinyurl.com/6zqua3
KRIEGER: Fixed site for World Series makes sense
I agree that the conditions were pretty bad for a few innings, and perhaps should have been halted (but not concluded) earlier, but I don't think either team had an advantage because of it.
http://tinyurl.com/6qs8g9
Given his defensive prowess I'm a little surprised that Andrew thinks so little of him to name his blog after him.
I watched the game from the get go, and they should have delayed it before it became official. Then scratch the game and start over. The rain was bad enough at that point.
And which city is the fixed site? Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego, Miami, St. Petersburg, Phoenix.
What if a team from that city makes it to the World Series? As has happened in 2001, 2002, 2003, and this year.
When the Cubs make it to the World Series and people in Chicago find out that the World Series, which they've been waiting to see for all of their lives, is being played at Tropicana Field, I predict there will be other feelings about a neutral site World Series.
Hopefully a better legend then what we got from Chad/Clayton when they faced Philly.
Even so, it is easy for me to sympathize with Phillies fans who felt they lost a lead after the game should have been stopped.
Also, count me in the group that thought MLB was hoping for a tie. The weather didn't get worse in the 6th. Remember Kazmir had to get a popsicle stick to scrape his cleats in the 5th I think.
Sure, it makes sense for MLB to have planned to let the game go 9 from the start. But I'm skeptical that Selig and sense go together.
I'm prepared to be obelisked if I must.
vr, Xei
vr, Xei
vr, Xei
Good point on that one. I though Upton would be gunned down. I love watching him run. He has such a long stride that it looks like he is jogging compared to someone like Pierre.
If someone touches the obelisk, will they suddenly become homicidal tool-users? And will one of the Strausses (Streiss?) be involved in the score?
Manny's first, with only a -2 fielding in LF for the Dodgers.
Fenway warps defense for left fielders like nothing else.
Broxton debuted with the Dodgers on July 29, 2005, and everyone that was here prior to that has a tenuous future with the club:
Penny (8/3/04): exercise of option still up in the air
Brazoban (8/15/04): likely to be non-tendered; arbitration eligible but out of options
Kent (4/5/05): likely retired
Repko (4/6/05): likely to be non-tendered; arbitration eligible but out of options
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